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A ruling in 2020 that upheld protections for transgender workers is considered a significant legal precedent.
The Supreme Court has made a significant ruling on the topic of transgender rights in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County.
The 2020 ruling concluded that a significant civil rights law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stated in a 6-3 ruling that it is illegal for an employer to terminate an employee based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and the court’s four-member liberal wing also supported this decision.
The majority opinion and two dissents collectively covered 168 pages. President Donald J. Trump told reporters that he acknowledged and respected the ruling. He mentioned that he had read the decision, and while some may have been surprised by it, he emphasized the importance of abiding by the court’s decision. Trump also described the ruling as impactful.
The justices were tasked with interpreting Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on race, religion, national origin, and sex. They had to determine if this prohibition on discrimination based on sex also extended to cover gay and transgender employees.
Justice Gorsuch stated that it was the case.
The writer stated that if an employer fires someone for being homosexual or transgender, they are essentially firing them for characteristics or behaviors that they would not have had an issue with if the individual belonged to a different gender.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. disagreed with the argument, stating that he found it to be extremely arrogant. He also mentioned that there was no evidence to support the claim that any member of Congress had interpreted the statutory text in that way when the law was passed in 1964.
The law in question banned discrimination in the workplace based on a person’s sex. The case being discussed on Wednesday, however, focuses on the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which is broadly written and sets a framework for analysis rather than specific rules. Justice Alito mentioned in 2020 that the court’s ruling in this case could have a significant impact on future constitutional cases.
Adam Liptak is a journalist who reports on the Supreme Court and writes a column called Sidebar, which focuses on legal news. He attended Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer for 14 years before starting at The New York Times in 2002. To learn more about Adam Liptak, click here.
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